Place: Reviews & Ratings

Decent selection but not as good was what you'll find at Magruders, Rodman's, or Whole Foods. Rodmaneque prices. What really causes problems with this place is the abysmal customer service. It's so poor that I've written it off no matter what beer I'm after. (260 characters)

Very friendly staff, clean and organized store. Decent selection though most beers are sold as singles. Prices are typical for DC. Will definitely go back if in the area. Note : if making a special trip for something seen on their website call first to check availability. (273 characters)

I stopped in based on a BA search while visiting a friend in the area.

Feel is like a typical old school liquor store. Nothing special in the decor or presentation. But they clearly put a lot of work into it with each bottle individually labeled. The only down side to that is that it blocks your view of the bottle itself. They have a good selection of Belgian, British and German beers with the US supply leaning heavily to northeast breweries.

A nice local shop with a good commitment to craft beer. (505 characters)

Like everyone, I'd heard great things about CCW&S, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It's a bit cramped and the layout of the place (i.e. all singles with some broken sixers in the cooler) is a bit hard to navigate. The selection is very good, though, which is truly the main thing. They had a ton of Black Ops and a decent amount of BCBS (albeit for a limited time). The staff isnt particularly knowledgeable, with the exception of their "head beer guy", but if you've got a decent beer brain, you'll find your way around. The one big drawback is the price, though around DC, it doesn't get much cheaper, so you may as well avail yourself of the selection. It's not my favorite place around DC, but for Goose Island, Great Lakes and some of the smaller, northern breweries, Chevy Chase is necessary. It's definitely in my rotation around the area. (862 characters)

Located on the far north end of Connecticut Ave. near Chevy Chase Circle, I had to ride the bus up here (the Metro Line veers off over a mile from the store) and on a late Friday afternoon after the conference it was a very long ride, about an hour to go 4 miles. There's a small parking lot in the back off the street, very little street parking to speak of.

This isn't a beer store per se, a very good selection of wine and liquor. The key, of course, is the beer, and while it took me a while to understand the shelving/organization of the place, I can see why this is considered the best beer outlet in DC. I had my heart set on a 6-pack of Bell's Expedition, and a phone call confirmed availability. The website is pretty accurate re inventory, but I'd be careful to venture up here without checking. Staff was quite helpful, willing to answer any questions (didn't really have any other than checking on Bells/Founders/etc location).

Certainly could have hung out here for quite a while. Prices are a bit on the high side of average prices for DC area, but given the quality of the selection, especially hard to find items, I was glad to pay the preacher. If you're looking for hard to find items (from a PNW perspective) this place and the Whole Foods on P certainly top the list. Deserving of its lofty status. Highly recommended. (1,401 characters)

I've seen amazing reviews of this place... and subpar reviews here. I think my review will be somewhere in the middle.

Atmosphere: Once you walk in, there is a distinct musty smell here the is inviting for the average beer geek. However, many may be turned off by this aspect. The beer is situated in the front part of the store, and the wine (and there is quite a bit), on the far back half.

Quality: I've never bought brews from here that were past their prime, and no one I know has ever either. There are very crude paper price tags situated on the individual beers, but still the quality of the overall beer selection is quite good.

Service: As many times and I've been here, it never fails. Once I ask a beer question, the person yells to the head beer guy, "HEY, COME HERE!" I think his name is Larry... and he's great!

Selection: Not as great as others have mentioned. I can get most of the stuff on the Virginia side of the DC area, but there are a few gems that are worthy.

Value: Meh... I guess this place is good, but it seems average overall to me. I will give them a pass overall compared to the Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) up the road. (1,156 characters)

I just started going to this place a little more often. Rodman's use to be my go to store in the District but that place has gone way down hill in terms of price and never gets the really tough to find stuff.

The place is kind of cramped. It's old and a bit musty. I've heard they will sell old beer but I've never bought anything that would be hurt by age so I can't speak to that.

There's only one guy there that seems to know about beer (I'm always referred to him when I ask). He seems knowledgeable but no one is super friendly. I'm not there to make friends though so it's not an issue.

You can get really hard to find stuff here. I was able to get Parabola, Hanssens Gueuze and Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti all within the last month. They have a very impressive selection of lambic which has been great since I've really gotten into them recently. Their selection in general is awesome but as I said, I really only go here for the really tough finds because I can just stock up at Total Wine for year rounds and major seasonal releases.

Defiantly worth your time if you're looking for something specific but not a place I would go to stock up on everyday beer. (1,168 characters)

This little joint is situated in NW DC. I heard about this place through various reviews. While the selection is quite impressive, but every bottle there is covered with dust and off-putting. Prices are stupid expensive and make no sense. It's sort of a creepy place to visit. I'm not a fan of this place and have gone about three to four times and have never bought anything, okay except an awful $18 bottle of la jolla pumpkin 750ml bottle which was terrible per se. Mostly because they don't have anything worth buying (6 month old DIPAs anyone? $30 DuClaw Colossus?) Nobody offered their help. I asked one guy for a Belgian beer, he said talk to that large looking dude and he knows his stuff. That so called dude didn't know anything not even De Struise stuff. Don't waste your time jaunting over to this place which is not metro accessible. Don't believe the website, which says it's like in the Top 10 of ____. No way. Head to Whole Foods instead for FRESHER selections and more reasonable prices. (1,004 characters)

This is probably the only place in DC where you can buy single 12oz bottles. Not only that, there is an incredibly varied selection of US craft choices, showing producers that are common around here (Dogfish, Duck Rabbit, Great Lakes, Great Divide, Lagunitas, Stone etc...), to having a great selection of imported.

The best is there imports are by the bottle and you can save yourself from spending a lot of money on items that you would normally have to fork over bombers and packs for. There are also beers in this store that I have NEVER seen anywhere else in the area. Staff is pleasant as well. Great place to shop in candy store like fashion. Keep in mind though, some bottles have been sitting so check for freshness dates.

One good suggestion, if you can't find parking out in front, or want to skip the meters (who doesn't) go park behind the store by turning down McKinley ST NW, they have a lot. (909 characters)

Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits is recognized as one of, if not the best bottle shop in DC. After hearing about it for years, I finally make the trek to Mecca in December.

The shop is signifigantly smaller then I expected. Not that this is a bad thing - it is simply condensed. All of the beer is toward the back. It's laid out in a bit of an odd manner, but once you get your bearings, it's not hard to find (most) of what you're looking for.

The selection is top notch, and it catered to all palates and incomes. I was quite impressed with their selection of high end product as well (they had a couple bottles of Tactical Nuclear Penguin, as well as some high end and hard to find sours).

The staff was somewhat stand-offish, and didn't really offer to help. When looking for this or that, I felt as if I was "in the way" when asking for assistance. They certainly weren't rude, but I can't say the service was stellar.

The owner was there as well. He, on the other hand, was quite nice and friendly, though he kept himself up front in the wine area.

Prices are high(er). I mean it's DC - what were you expecting?

If you're in DC, be sure to hit Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits. It's a must - whether on a vaca, or just jaunting into the city. (1,242 characters)

My go-to for craft beers in the D.C. area. Similar to D'vino's and D'vine's, but I would argue this place has better selection - equal service.

The staff, particularly the bearded fellow who's often at the store, have great recommendations and a fantastic grasp of what's on the shelves. I've learned a lot about beers and beer brewers by talking with people at this store.

Great for singles, I would say there's regularly 500 varieties of beer sold here, each at very reasonable prices. Highly recommended. (509 characters)

I have lived in DC, about a year and a half now, and have gone here a couple times.

I have gone a couple times, each time thinking maybe it'll get better because of the great reviews, and I'm always a little underwhelemed. I AM NOT saying this is a bad beer store, because it certainly isn't. I just don't think it is all that people have cracked it up to be on BA.

Quality: They do get great in country stuff as well as rarer things like Nogne-O, lots of belgians, germans, UK stuff, etc. Impressive the variety they have, but at the same time, I see lots of hoppy beers sitting on shelves in singles and I know that they are probably old and not the beer they used to be now. Good stuff overall, but maybe the particular times I've gone they havent had anything particularly rare or really great stuff I 'had to buy.' Solid, but it's nothing exciting.

Side: The bottles are very haphazardly organized too, which turns me off a little. I just feel like they don't have a lot of 'quality control.'

As for service, the people working there mostly ignored me poking around in the beer and didn't offer to help or help find anything I was looking for. Average. Maybe I've been there when the beer guy wasn't there or something, but the workers didnt seem knowledgeable or caring about the customers.

Overall, solid, but I'll tell those coming into town if you are nearby, sure check it out, but there are better places to check out. In DC, I like CT Ave Wine and Liquor in Dupont Circle (which is a fun area to visit and hang out in anyways), Schneiders in Capitol Hill (also near some good stuff), Rick's in Alexandria, VA, and Total Wine in Alexandria also. Personal opinion, and I realize I'm going against the current on this store, but I have not been overly impressed in my visits. (1,793 characters)

I've been going to Chevy Chase for about nine years and have always been impressed with their beer selection, which encompasses difficult to find and eclectic foreign labels as well as small production domestic craft brews. And they make a point of getting anything they don't have. The store itself has three different areas where beer is stored, and it's not necessarily clear where to look if you have something specific in mind. To that end, the best way to browse their selection is sometimes online. Then go there and ask where it is. The store occasionally offers beer tastings on Fridays and Saturdays, although the selection is usually at the discretion of the distributor rather than management. It would be nice if they did some focused/educational beer tastings. (774 characters)

After hitting other local spots, I just had to stop in here and see what all the hooplah was about. Damn, everybody's been pretty spot-on here. Sure, most of the store is devoted to other alcoholic goodies, but they do not skimp on the brews, baby! They carry a very large assortment of beers, mostly in singles, from around the country and around the world. They employ a tag system that tells you about the beers (name, origin, ABV, and prices for singles, sixers (or fours when applicable), and cases) that is pretty nice and informative. Most of the bottles are fresh, but every now and then there's some slightly dusty offerings. I can't comment all that much on the service (I prefer to just browse on my own), but they have offered to help me before (which is always a nice touch), and I witnessed them helping a couple o' ladies find a variety of desired brews. They seem very knowledgable and helpful. The only real knock I have against this place is the slightly steep prices: I know that the District in general is kinda pricey, but I can find some of their offerings elsewhere for less. Still, their beastly selection will keep me coming back for more. (1,164 characters)

This is set along a pedestrian area with boutique-type shops, parking meters in front but a lot in back. If you drive in from the north you'll go through an area with camera-enforced speed limits, it was interesting watching heavy traffic all going exactly 30mph.

The shop is filled mainly with wine (and spirits), with the rear of the store dedicated more-or-less to beer. A lot of beer. Hundreds of beers from USA craft brewers, another hundred or so from Belgium, and another hundred or so from "other".

Every beer lives on a specific shelf space, designated by a label indicating country/state and price. What's really nice is the clear marking of price, indicated as singles price or 4-pack, 6-pack, or whatever relevant volume.

Definitely worth a stop in DC, if you can't find something you like here then you're not gonna find something you'll like anywhere. (868 characters)

Wow! It's like stepping into a whole world of beer on the outskirts of DC! I was impressed with their selection.. they had more of the mainstream microbrewers, but had the lesser-known beers produced by them.

It was a bit confusing to look at the shelves and get a sense of what was there. I think they are trying to save space by single-fronting the beers, but it is really confusing on the eye. Plus, they have all these little hanging price tags that just add to the confusion.

Overall it was a really cool place to buy beer. A tad on the pricey side, but they had just about everything that I was looking for. (615 characters)

This is a beer store / liquor store that is within walking distance of the Friendship Heights station. It has a good selection of beer and about 1/3 of the store is devoted to beer entirely.

The setup is a little odd. There are basically singles on the shelf only. Lots of a shelves with a couple of bottles on each shelf of each beer, maybe 6 individual beers to a shelf. Each are individually marked for sale, there are discounts for 6 / 12 / 24 packs of any particular beer. I guess its a bottle lovers paradise. There are several hundred varieties of beers there. Seriously impressive.

The staff is helpful and the two people I talked to knew a lot about their inventory. Also, their website has a partially complete inventory online (although you have to search it and some of their spelling is questionable). I seriously think that I have found my new beer store in general. At least I have three really reliable ones now. I am seriously impressed by Chevy Chase and if you are in the DC area and want to make a mix pack of beer, get to this store.

Easily the best place to bottle shop in the DC area, but I'm not sure that is saying much.

The wall of beer is a very nice feature with lots of singles available. The fact that they sell just about every beer they have by the bottle, sixer, and case (with a nice discount on a case purchase) is a very nice selling feature. If you have not been before, you can pick single bottles from the wall and coolers or order six-packs and cases at the counter and they'll retrieve them from the walk-in or basement. If you are there in the morning hours, the system they have for receiving shipments is pretty cool.

The selection is very good for the area, but I've seen better in more remote areas of VA.

As others have stated, wine and liquor dominate this store and they do have a nice selection of those. Beer is in the back left, with a couple of coolers and shelves opposite the checkout (don't miss those - usually a couple of gems there). Prices can be a bit on the high side, but the selection makes the trip worthwhile. (1,025 characters)

I usually go to Chevy Chase Wine and Spirits once every other week to pick up single bottles of one or two styles to sample that weekend. Though I've often been frustrated by what they don't have, for the most part this is a very high quality beer store that makes it very easy to by singles and try a wide variety of great craft and foreign brew offerings.

Chevy Chase is located in downtown Chevy Chase (duh!). Unlike much of D.C., the parking situation here is pretty easy and convenient. I've never had a problem finding a spot that is accessible to the store no matter day of the week or time of my visit.

Walking in the front door/street side of Chevy Chase, you are welcomed by a somewhat old fashioned looking, quaint-type of wine shop. It is a one-room establishment, with racks forming aisles in a pretty narrow fasion. The store can get quite cramped between employees stocking items and customers sharing aisles. And they do try to cram as much product into their somewhat limited space as possible.

Overall, I would estimate that the wine and spirit offerings take up a full 2/3 of the store. Beer is located toward the left side and back of the building. That is not to say that they do not pay proper attention to beer. Instead, they utilize their shelf space wisely by putting only single bottles there, with tags denoting respective prices for single bottles, six packs, and cases. It is a very convenient system if all you want is a single beer or two, though if you desire higher quanties you will have to ask an employee to retrieve your request from what I can only imagine is an immense stockroom. Waiting has never really been a problem for me, though.

As far as selection goes, it is quite impressive. The first four-foot wall section (ascending about six-seven feet in height, to accomodate about eight shelves) is comprised of Belgian beers. There is an impressive array, both of those commonly found elsewhere and a few odd types that I had never seen before. The next four foot section is comprised of German singles and 1/2 litre bottles. Again, all of the standards are there as are some special rare bottles. Then comes eight feet of American craft brews. Another impressive array. If I were to offer any complaint on overall selection, it would be with regards to the American representation. While the overall quantity of beers is impressive, there have been many times where I've been unpleasantly disappointed by what they are lacking, i.e. some special beers from well-respected American craft breweries that I can find at most other good beer stores, but not at Chevy Chase. That being said, each time this happens I am surprised, but usually find a replacement pretty quickly.

There is also a good deal of mixed refrigerated space at Chevy Chase. The store's final left hand side eight foot section is dominated by American crafts, with a few 750 ml bottles from different locales (Belgium, Canada, U.S.) mixed in. Above these cold beers is another shelf of unrefrigerated beers, dominated by mostly seasonal or special release beers. Continuing to the back right wall one finds more refrigerated offerings that range from macro-crap (it's own unfortunate four foot section) to English and other European brews. Along the higher shelves at the back can be found some other international beers (from Latin and South America, Asia, the Caribbean, and elsewhere). There is one final four foot section of mostly Belgian 750 ml bottles.

Besides my previous complaint about not always being able to find exactly what I want, there is one other relatively important problem with Chevy Chase. On several occasions I have found shelved bottles notably out of date. I've even unwittingly purchased out of date beer there once or twice. Since I know where to look for this information it is not as huge an issue with me as it should be with others, but it is not always possible to locate best by dates on all craft or imported bottles. This is definitely a quality issue that I would like to see improved.

Service is decent. The beer manager is quite knowlegable and helpful when there. Other employees do not seem to know as much about beer. While they are friendly enough, there can be times when they do not seem to want to be bothered by questions. They will always retrieve your requests in a prompt manner, though, which is really most of what you can ask for. Still for a specialty shop purporting to be top shelf, one would expect a bit more at times.

On the whole, despite a handful of complaints, Chevy Chase does a good job of bringing quality and quantity to D.C. beer enthusiasts. It is as fine of a beer store as I've found in the area and well worth the excursion for me and many others around these parts. (4,763 characters)

In D.C. for a few days and saw that BA had this listed as one of the better options for beer stores.

I found that they had a very good selection, although a number of items were out of stock. They had some limited release beers, and most of what they offered were available as singles. The prices were also a little - to a lot higher than what I am used to paying, but judging by other reviews, they are probably fairly comparable to local standards. There was plenty of parking in back, and the staff were available and helpful if not overly beer knowledgeable. (564 characters)

This place undoubtedly has the best beer selection in the DC metro area, with a wide range of American beers, Belgians, Germans, British, Scottish, etc and a small handful from Latvia, Lithuania, and even Croatia. Prices have been creeping up lately, but that's par for the course in DC. Three shelves of singles, plus a large fridge section. Large bottles of both American and Belgian ales. Beer manager can order beers for you - ordered a batch of De Dolle Stille Nacht this way, very reliable and convenient. Periodic tastings. Great place. (543 characters)

Simply put, Chevy Chase Wine is a wonderful resource for great beer in our nation's capital. The beermonger there knows his stuff and is willing to help. They have a solid selection of American craft brews but also many beers from England, Belgium, and points beyond. In addition to six packs and bombers there are a number of shelves with 12oz. singles. The only knock on this store is the premium price you pay. As an alternative, give Rick's Wine and Gourmet in Alexandria, VA a try - it does not have the broad selection, but they stay current, are very friendly and conduct tastings every Saturday. (603 characters)

It´s another reference store in the region for craft beer lovers. It´s true that the staff seems to be typically knowledgeable and helpful, and besides a good wine selection, the beer stock is quite tremendous. Plenty of single bottles to show off their range, and to tempt you to check out if they have larger qualities on stock, which they usually do.

Real trouble is that while not prohibitive, the prices are mechanically higher than elsewhere nearby... A minimun $1 up on most six packs and up from there. I fear that is geared a bit towards a more comfy, posh crowd not bothered by the difference. If I were in need of something specific that I can´t find elsewhere I´d probably come in to try my luck. But otherwise, and with Rodman´s relatively close, this is not one of my stops. (795 characters)

This place had a great selection and the staff was pretty helpful. I found founders, duck rabbit, weyerbacher, southern tier, bell's, and a bunch of locals.

The price was reasonable and the store was easy to transverse. If your in the area and want what DC has to offer this place is it.Recommend highly.They helped carry out the beer haul to the car as well. If you want something on the shel you can right the number doen and take it to the counter and they can check how much they have left or how much is left to buy. (525 characters)

I found this place thanks to a thread on BA and since its about ten blocks from where I work I decided to check it out.

Large wine area in the front of the store, beers in the back. I was amazed at the selection of beers, all in singles! There are a couple of coolers with cold six packs as well as a long open cooler with bombers. First place I've found with Bells and Founders in the area as well as a few others.

Price was about what I expected for the NW DC area. Some of them were cheaper than I thought they would be though.

Make sure you look up, lots of old bottles on display shelves.

The staff was very helpful. I meant to ask about special orders but completely forgot as I was wandering around. I'll definitely be back though! (744 characters)